Gathering and loading machine



sept. `26, 1944.

F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19, 1942 5 sheets-sheet 1 Arrow/5y Sept 26, 1944. F. cARTLmGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept 26, 1944- F. CARTLIDGE 2,358,849

- GATHERING AND LOADING mcanm original Filed oct. 19. 1942 5 sheets-sheet 5 .4r rom/EY sept. 26, 1944.

GATHERING ANJ 'LOADING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19 1942 F. cAR'rLlDGE 2,358,349

5 sheets-sheet 4 Sept. 26, 1944.

Original Filed Oct. 19, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /NvE/VroR 3mm?. @ggg Patented Sept. 26, 1944 rank Cartlidge, Chicago, man Manufacturing Company, Chicago,

corporation of Illinois Griginal application October 19, 1942, Serial No. 462,506. Divided and this application May 26, 1943, Serial No. 488,603

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gathering and loading machines adapted to load coal or other loose material at the working face of a mine.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of motor and drive connections for. the gathering devices at the front end of the machine so as to provide an especially simple, compact and eicient construction requiring a minimum Vertical clearance at the front end of the machine.

Other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the front or gathering end of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, with certain parts broken away and shown in section to show details of construction;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view forming in effect a continuation of Fig. l, and showing the main part of the machine with the rear or discharge end of the main conveyer broken away, and with certain other portions shown in section;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken onk certain` longitudinal planes, showing the front portion of the machine included in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on certain longitudinal planes, constituting in eiiect a continuation of Figure 3, and showing the main part of the machine;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5--5 of Figure 1; l

Figure 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6-6 of Figure l, showing details of the hydraulic clutch mechanism for the gathering chain drive;

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken generally on line 1-1 of Figure 1; and

Figure 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig-v ure l, showing details of the gathering chain drive sprocket and its associated parts.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the main elements of the machine consist of a main frame I0 mounted on a pair of endless treads II, II and having an inclined gathering element or loading head I2 disposed in advance of saidv main frame, and a conveyer I3 extending from the gathering element rearwardly over` the main frame and beyond the rear end of the latter in overhanging position so as to discharge material into mine cars or the like. Said conveyer is of` I8 and the bottom plate I9 of the main frame.`

lll., assigner to Good- Ill., a

the singlewcenter strand endless ehainland flight type including an endless chain I4 having spaced apart flights I5, I5 secured thereto and projecting laterally therefrom in opposite directions.

The main frame Illl includes a pair of upright side frame members I1, I'I, a deck. plate I8 and a bottom plate I9 (see Figure 5). The endless treadsmII, Il,v are suitably mounted at opposite sides of the side frame members on drive sprockets 20, 20 near the rear end of the frame, idler sprockets 2l, 2I at the front of the frame, and a plurality of intermediate bogie Awheels 2Ia., 2Ia.

Said sprockets and bogie wheels are supported onV suitable shafts which have bearing at their inner ends on the mainframe and at their outer ends in overhanging brackets 22 at opposite sides of the frame. Details of the endless tread structure and its supporting means need not be described further, as they form no part of the present invention, excepting to Apoint out that drive shafts 23, 23 of the drive sprockets 20 project outwardly beyond the overhangingsupporting brackets 22, 22 and* have chain drive sprockets 24, 24 xed thereon to provide independent driving connections for each of said endless treads from a pair of hydraulic motors r25, 25a, mountedrat each -V side of the main frame (see Figure 2) The gathering element I2 is supported for vertical tilting movement on an intermediate frame 45, which in turn is pivotally connected at the iront end of the main frame I0, for lateral swinging movement. The pivotal support for said intermediate frame is shown in Figures 3 and 5v, and consists of an upright pivot post or king pin 46 mounted in and extending between the top plate A cylindrical bearing member 41 of frame 45 is journaled on said post, and said frame projects forwardly therefrom beenath the vconveyer I3, to form a supportmfor a swivelling portion thereof, as will presently be described in detail. An electric motor 48 is mounted at the front end of said intermediate frame, to provide the motive power for the gathering chains of the gathering element` The gathering element I2 herein shown is ofy the familiar type including an inclined gathering plate 50 extending along opposite sides of the front end of the conveyer I3 and across the front end thereof. A pair of chain guiding members 5I, 5I having endless chains 5252 mounted for orbital movement thereabout, are mounted as usual on said plate, along opposite sides and forwardly of the conveyer. 'A plurality of gather-7 ing arms 53, 53 are carried by said chains, for picking up material from the ground and moving it along said `plate onto the conveyer.

The gathering chains 52 are driven from the electric motor 48 by similar gear trains connected to opposite ends of the transverse armature shaft 49 of said motor, as shown in VFigures 1 and 7. Each gear train is supported in a casing 55 and consists of a Worm 56 on a stub shaft 54 connected as by a flexible joint to the armature shaft 49, and meshing with a worm gear 51 Aon a'longitudinal shaft 58. The latter shaft extends forwardly of casing 55 and forums: the `inner driving member of a multiple disc clutch indicated generally at 59 (see Figure 6). The outer driven member 60 of said clutch has bearing in' asupporting bracket 6| extending-forwardly of 'the casing 55 and is connected to one end 62 of a splined shaft by a universal joint 63. The other end 62a of said slplined shaft is connected by a universal joint 64 `to a shaft 65,'journaled .in a gear housing166 secured to the under face of lthe gathering plate 56.

The shaft-.65 has Aabevel'pinion 61 fixed on :its forward end, meshed with abevel gear 68 on an upright shaft 69. fThe latter shaft'projects above the gathering plate and has-a chain sprocket10 fixed on its xupper end-which funeshes with the gathering chain 52 atvonesideof the conveyer.

The clutches 59; 59-are controlled by hydraulic means as will hereinafter vmore Vfully appear.

Theinclined plate is supported forwardly of the intermediate frame-45by spaced upright side plates 1 '-iiared outwardly Valong their upper marginand having-trunnion bearings12,. 12 at their rear ends connected to trunnions 13, 13. fixed at olpposi-te sidesof the intermediate lframe-45 (see Figures 1 and 7 ),.so'as--to Apermit yvertical tilting adjustment '-of vthe f gathering element. The gathering' elefment l2 andintermediate :frame 45 are swung laterally relative to Sthemain frame |l1 by a.hydraulic extensiondevice15, as herein shown, consisting ofla cylinder 16 having its base pivotally mounted oni-afbracket 11at one side of the .main frame,-.and-a ypiston. rod 18 pivotally connected to a bracket! 19 :fixed atone'side of the intermediate1-frame-45 (see-Figures 1 and 2).

The gathering'element has Atilting adjustment on trunnions 12, 12 relative lto the intermediate frame45, byavpair of hydraulic cylinder extension devices86,80 of the usual cylinder and piston form, each having-one end pivotally connected to the -base of said intermediate frame, and the other end pivotally connected to the under sideof the'gathering element, asis best shown in Figure. A pair of coil springs 8|8I are also' interposed between the base of the intermediate frame and the rear. end of the inclined plate 50, so as to yieldingly support a part of 'the weight of the gathering element in its various tilted positions.

The conveyer |3, which extends continuously from the gathering element 'I2 to the rear end of the machine, consists generally of a plurality of aligned trough" sections, arranged in the follow-v ing order: a front inclined trough section 82, tiltable vertically .with "the, gathering' head on a transverse axis; a horizontal trough section 83 mounted on and swinging laterally with the intermediate'frame`45; a horizontal trough section` 84 fixed onv the -forwardpart' of the main frame I0; a vertically tilting trough section 85 connected thereto una;l transverse' axisnear the rear end of i the mainframe (see Figures`2 and 4) andnally a laterally swingingtrough section`86, pivotally actuating devices used in effecting the several opy erating or adjusting functions of the machine,

will now'be more fully described.

Thehydraulic motor devices which operate by power vin reverse directions, such as the cylinder 15 for swinging thegathering element |2 and intermediate frame 45 laterally, are double-acting k cylinder-and piston devices of a well known type :which may be supplied with iiuid pressure under `manua1 control of valves, of any suitable fonm and arrangement. The hydraulic cylinder devices 8U, 80 for elevating the gathering element I2 may be single-acting cylinder and piston devices controlled in any Well known manner, so that no detailed description ofV these devices is necessary.

The construction of the hydraulic devices for operating lthe clutches 59; 59, controlling the operation ofthe gathering chains 52, 52 of the gathering head, is shown in Adetail in Figure 6 and includes a cylinder |96 fixed to one end of the lgear casing 55 and having a piston |9| therein, withV a piston rod |92. rotatably connected thereto by an anti-friction bearing member |93. The piston rod |92 extends concentrically through the shaft. 58, and is connected to a pressure plate |94 at the `opposite end of said shaft. The pressure plate ,normally engages the discs of the clutch 59 by compression of Va coil spring |95 seated in a' recess |96 `in shaft'` 58 'and engaging an abutment |91.on the piston rod |92. The resistance of said coil spring is overcome by fluid introduced through pipe |98 into the cylinder |96, so as to disengage the'clutch when desired. Fluid pressurek may be supplied to cylinder under manual control of valve means, in the usual manner.

While I have herein shownand described one form in which myfinvention.may be embodied, it Will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of .the various parts may be altered Without 'departing' from' the. spirit and scope thereof. l Furthermore, I -donot Wish to be construed as limiting'my inventionto the specic embodiment illustrated,xexceptng as it may be limited in .the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loading machine, a main frame, a loading head mounted forwardly of said main frame, including an inclined gathering plate and a pair ofgatheringdevices at vopposite sides thereof, andfdriveE means for :said gathering vrdevices including a motorvmounted-:on -said mainframe adjacent the rear end" andv below ther-plane of saidV plate, and-with iits' armature shaft extending transversely xof the latter; and independent drive connections forsaidrgathering devices from opposite ends of Vsaid armature shaft.

k2. In` a .loading` machine, .la main frame, Aa loading head mountedlfor vertical'tilting movement.: onf-a transversesaxis forwardlyofsaid main frame, including :fanziinclined gathering plate and apair-of -gatheringdevices atropposite sides thereof, Y and drive fmeans' Vfor said gathering devices including amotor .mounted von said main frameadjacentthe rearend and below the plane of said \plate,-andwith"its armature. shaft extending transversely oithe latter, and xindependent drive connections for said gathering devices from opposite ends of said armature shaft.

3. In a loading machine, a main frame, a loading head mounted for vertical tilting movement on a transverse axis forwardly of said main frame, including an inclined gathering plate and a pair of gathering devices at opposite sides thereof, a supporting frame intermediate said main frame and loading head having pivotal connection with said main frame to swing on a vertical axis, and having pivotal connection with said loading 4head. to permit the latter to tilt on a horizontal axis, and drive means for said gathering devices including a motor mounted on said intermediate frame adjacent the rear end and below the plane of said plate, and with its armature shaft extending transversely of the latter, and independent drive connections for said gathering devices from opposite ends of said armature shaft.

4. In a loading machine, a main frame, an intermediate frame mounted for lateral swinging movement at the front end of said main frame, a loading head, including an inclined gathering plate and gathering devices at opposite sides thereof, mounted for vertical tilting movement on a transverse axis forwardly of said intermediate frame, and a drive motor mounted on said intermediate frame below the plane of said gathering plate, and having driving connections with said gathering devices.

5. In a loading machine, a main frame, a loading head mounted forwardly of said main frame including an inclined gathering plate and a pair of gathering devices at opposite sides thereof, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined endless conveyer having its front end in position to receive material from said gathering devices, and drive means for said gathering devices including a motor mounted on said main frame beneath said elevating conveyer and rearwardly of said gathering plate and with its armaan inclined gathering plate having a pair of gathering devices at opposite sides thereof, and an elevating conveyer having its front end in material receiving relation at the rear of said gathering devices and adjustable vertically with the latter, a drive motor mounted on said supporting frame below an elevating portion of said elevating conveyer and with its armature shaft extending transversely of the latter, and independent drive connections for said gathering devices extending from opposite ends of said armature shaft and along opposite sides of said elevating conveyer, including telescopic rotatable power shafts.

7. In a loading machine, a main frame, an intermediate frame mounted for lateral swinging movement at the front end of said main frame, a loading head mounted for vertical tilting movement on a transverse axis forwardly of said intermediate frame, said loading head including an inclined gathering plate and gathering devices at opposite sides thereof, and an elevating conveyer adapted to receive material from the rear of said gathering devices and carry it upwardly and rearwardly along said main frame, and a drive motor mounted on said intermediate frame below said elevating conveyer and having FRANK CARTLIDGE. 

